Nightly Lovers
by Cloud van Dyk
Summary: Michiru Kaioh is a young woman who suffers from the rare disease Xerodermia Pigmentosa. Thus, she can only leave her house at night. When the new night watchman Haruka Tenoh is employed, Michirus loneliness comes to an end...FINISHED!! ^_^v
1. When The Night Has Come

Author's Notes: The following story came up to me when it was night and I couldn't sleep. Too much caffeine at work. The disease used in this story, Xerodermia Pigmentosa (short XP) really exists, and I do not want to make fun of anyone who suffers from this genetic defect. So, if the way I use this disease offends anyone, let me know. I do not want to harm anyone.

Disclaimer: I do not own Haruka or Michiru, but I own the plot.

Dedication: I dedicate this story to my Mom, the best!

Nightly Lovers 

Prologue: When The Night Has Come

Slowly, steadily, the last daylight vanished from the sky, and twilight came. The inhabitants of the small town Daisuka (A/N: Yes, the same one like in Woman Without A Face. I was too lazy to think up a new one, so there =P) all were either on their way home or already with their loving family. Soon, the whole village would sleep…all the people who lived there, except for one. The "outsider", the "vampire", the "freak". She would wake up when others went to bed, and she would go outside when others locked their doors. To her, night meant life; she wasn't a vampire like so many said, but still daylight meant death for her. Of course, not a sudden, fast death; more likely a slow, creeping death that would take years to come. The one who lived up when the night came was Michiru Kaioh, a twenty-five year old girl who had been born with a genetic defect, called Xerodermia Pigmentosa, shortly called XP. Sometimes, Michiru would curse her luck; only one person out of twenty thousand suffered from this rare disease. XP caused the skin of the patient to be multiple times more sensitive when it came to light than those of people who don't suffer from it; thus, Michiru couldn't go outside during the day, and the lights in her house were always dim. The only time she could take the risk of going outside was during the night; that made her an outsider in the pretty close-minded town Daisuka. Michiru didn't really care about that, though; ever since her childhood, she was used to being alone. Right now, she didn't know that her loneliness should come to an end when Daisuka employed a new night watchman.

"Just walk around in the city and make sure that no one tries anything." The mayor of Daisuka, a fat, baldy man named Ishikawa Taroshi, spoke to the new night watchman. The new one, a handsome blonde woman named Haruka Tenoh, smiled and nodded. "Of course. I've already been a night watchman in Tokyo, so being one here shouldn't be a problem." The mayor grinned and nodded, before a thought crossed his mind. "Oh, and one more thing…we have a freak living here in Daisuka, her name's Michiru Kaioh. She has some weird disease, so she can only leave her house in the night. So, when you see her wander around, don't arrest her." Haruka nodded, but inside, she was angered about the mayor calling this Michiru person a "freak". And she was pretty keen on meeting her…maybe the nightshift wouldn't be as boring as she thought when there was someone else who walked through the city at night.  


	2. Meeting In The Dark

Chapter 1: Meeting In The Dark

Michiru carefully peeked out of her house, to make sure that none of the town's beatnicks had decided to attack her once more, found the street to be safe and finally walked out. She slowly started to make her way down the street, whistling a happy tune. The town was silent, except for the sounds of the too loud TV's that emerged from some of the houses and for the footsteps that echoed through…Michirus eyes went wide. Footsteps? She stopped, standing dead in her tracks, hoping that she only heard her own walking, but much to her surprise, the steps continued. _"Who is outside at that time, apart from me?" the aqua haired woman wondered. The bright shine of a flashlight suddenly appeared in front of her, and Michiru quickly shielded her eyes, since they were much more sensitive to light than those of "normal" people. "Who's there?" a low, husky voice now called out, the flashlight dancing over Michirus body. "Please put that light down." Michiru replied. "It's hurting my eyes." The light was aimed to the floor, and the husky voice came again: "You're Michiru Kaioh?" Michiru took her arm down, looking at the talker. She found herself face to face with a handsome, young blonde woman; the shortcut hair framed a somehow masculine face, while glistening teal eyes looked at her questioning. Michiru now nodded and smiled. "Yes, that's correct. And you are…?" The blonde stranger flashed a bright smile at her, showing perfect white teeth. "Haruka Tenoh. The city's new night watchman." Michiru let out a sigh. "And you already know about me? Let me guess, the major informed you about the freak who walks around at night." "Sorta." Haruka replied, shrugging. "If he thinks that you are a freak, fine with me. I prefer to know people before I judge them." Michiru gave her a polite smile. "That's nice from you. Anyway…I don't want to keep you from doing your job. Just ask who's there before you shoot around, you could hit me." The aqua haired girl spoke, eyeing the gun that hung at Harukas belt. The blonde chuckled and nodded. "Okay. And if someone answers something like I'm a burglar, I can be sure that it's not you and become trigger happy." Michirus smile grew broader at this humorous remark, and she nodded. "Have fun then." The aqua haired girl spoke before she turned and left, leaving Haruka behind._

Haruka was wandering through the silent town, her mind never leaving Michiru. _"Dear God, she's beautiful. __If I would have known about her wandering around every night earlier, I would've come here years ago." The blonde thought to herself while she strolled down the main street and looked around for some unwanted guests who could try to bring trouble to her. Luckily, the streets were silent, and no one tried to bother her. The blonde let out a sigh and checked her watch: 2 in the morning, what meant four more hours until she could get home and into bed. Haruka let out a yawn while she strolled on, her right hand lying on the handle of her gun, her left stuffed into the pocket of her jeans._

Michiru walked through the nightly town, thinking about the blonde she had met before. _"Haruka Tenoh…" Letting out a sigh, Michiru took a seat at one of the park benches, staring of into distance. __"I prefer to know people before I judge them." The somehow cushy voice of the tall blonde echoed over in Michirus mind, and she closed her eyes for a second. "So she prefers to know people before she judges them. Does that mean that she maybe wouldn't care about my illness? That we could be…friends?" Michiru shook her head and answered the question herself. "No. Why would she want to be friends with me of all people? After all, I'm just the freak…" She let out a heavy sigh and leaned back, staring up into the nightly sky, awing at the beauty of the stars. Michiru was so absorbed in them that she didn't notice how Haruka walked up to her and sat down next to her, but when the blonde spoke up, Michiru did a startled jump. "They are beautiful, aren't they?" Haruka mumbled, earning a wide-eyed stare from Michiru. "Huh, you scared me." The aqua haired girl replied, causing Haruka to laugh. "Oh come on." The blonde then said. "I'm not __that ugly, right?" Michiru couldn't help but laugh at the night watchers  comment. "No, you are not ugly. I'm just not used to anyone wandering around at night besides me." Haruka gave her another of bright smiles. "Well, better get used to it. I don't plan on ending my job here soon, since they pay good." Michiru let out a heavy sigh. "Listen, Haruka…it's not that I don't like you or something like that. But…I prefer to spend the time out here alone." Haruka shrugged and nodded. "Good, if you want to…but if you ever find yourself in trouble, just scream and I'll hear." Michiru nodded and stood up. "Good. Have fun doing your job then." With that, she left, leaving Haruka behind once more. _


	3. Lonely Dreams

A/N: Thanks to JO who pointed out that not all people with XP aren't able to walk in the daylight ^^;; In the book I read about it, the poor guy who suffered from it couldn't walk outside during the day, but apparently some can. Thanks JO for your info…care to leave me your email address the next time you review? I would be glad if you did, because in that way I know whom I can ask when I'm stuck about details. 

Chapter 2: Lonely Dreams

Finally, Haruka returned home from her shift, totally tired out. Aside the two meetings with Michiru, she had spent the night alone, wandering through Daisuka, totally bored. Sighing, the blonde let herself falling down on the couch and looked at her alarm clock: four in the morning. Haruka sighed once more, this time heavier, and rose from the couch, only to walk into her bedroom and fall down on the bed again. She quickly undressed, crawled under the covers and soon fell asleep.

Michiru entered her house, locked the door behind her – although Daisuka was  a quiet town, Michiru always locked her door, since bored teens sometimes got the idea to enter her house during the day to find out if she slept in a coffin – and hung the key on it's hook, next to the door. Letting out a sigh (A/N: They both seem to do that pretty often, huh? O_o), Michiru wandered over into the kitchen to help herself to a cup of tea before going to bed. Patiently, the aqua haired girl waited until her drink was finished, then carefully picked the cup up, since she didn't want any of the liquid to fall on her precious carpet, and walked over in the bedroom, on her way picking up the book she was currently reading. She made herself comfortable in the huge bed she owned, leaning against two pillows while reading her book and drinking her tea. Reading, however, seemed to be a difficult task that night; the words of the story were constantly overlapped with Harukas image, and the blondes deep, rich voice echoed in her mind over and over again, sometimes mixed up with the words of other town inhabitants. _"I prefer to know people before I judge them." "They are beautiful, aren't they?" "In the house over there lives a vampire, be careful at night." "Oh, that's just the freak…" "Beautiful…freak…vampire…prefer to know…" Michiru closed her book, realizing that she wouldn't be able to read anymore tonight. Instead, she pulled the pillow down and let herself fall on her back, closing her eyes in the process. "Haruka." She spoke into the silent room, already regretting that she had sent the blonde away some hours before. It surely would've been nice to talk to her, after all, they were the only people that wandered around at night…Michiru rolled on her stomach, soon found this uncomfortable and rolled on her back again. She shouldn't be able to find sleep for hours. _

_"Hands up, I said! Put that gun down!" BANG! BANG! __The sudden pain that swept through her body, the blood that splashed to the ground, and the grin of him… Haruka jerked up and practically sat upright in her bed, wide-eyed, sweat running down her cheeks. She stared around, looking for a man who wasn't there, who was long dead, while her right arm unconsciously came up and started to rub her rib area. "Just a dream." She mumbled to herself. "It was just a dream…" Shaking her head, the blonde sighed. No. Not a dream, but a memory. The memory for her reason of leaving Tokyo. After she had been shot by a burglar she had surprised during her night shift, the blonde had found the city way to dangerous and had moved away…but the dreams had refused to leave and had accompanied her, tormenting her every time she went to sleep. Haruka stared down, her eyes glued to the scar that showed where the bullet had hit: right between the third and fourth left rib. Haruka unconsciously ran her hand over the spot while she laid down again, but after a short while, she knew that she wouldn't be able to sleep anymore. Which was bad, because if she didn't sleep now, she would be tired at her shift. "Well, coffee will have to do." She spoke out loud while getting up. "I need to go shopping anyway." And with that, the blonde got dressed, found her wallet after a pretty long period of searching in a place where it had absolutely nothing to do, and walked off to the store. _


	4. Safe Tonight

Chapter 3: Save Tonight

Haruka entered the town's store, whistling a happy tune. The elderly owner of the shop, Satoshi, immediately came hurrying over to her. "Hello, hello." He greeted, smiling. "You have to be the new night watchman…or should I saw watchwoman?" Haruka laughed and shrugged. "Whatever your prefer." She then replied, earning another bright grin from Satoshi. "Well then, Tenoh-San…what do you need?" Haruka told him the few things she needed – basically bread, milk and tons of convenience food – and he packed them for her. Quickly, the blonde paid and made her way back home. 

After eating macaroni and cheese, Haruka luckily found some more sleep before her shift started. Soon, the blonde found herself walking around on the empty, nightly streets of Daisuka again. "I wonder where Michiru is." The blonde spoke to herself, not awaiting to receive a reply. Thus, she nearly jumped out of her skin when a melodic voice came: "Right here." Haruka twirled around, staring wide-eyed at the slightly smiling Michiru who stood behind her, the blondes hand already gripping the handle of her gun. "Don't shoot!" Michiru quickly called out. Haruka breathed a sigh of relief and let go of the gun. "Don't scare me like that." She then said. "I'm a little…jumpy." Michiru raised one eyebrow at the blonde. "How come?" she then asked. Haruka sighed and shrugged. "I had the same job in Tokyo before, and caught a burglar one night. He shot me, now I'm jumpy. End of story." "He _shot you?!" Michiru cried out, her sudden sympathy amusing Haruka. "Oh  my God, where?" The blonde pointed to her rib cage and shrugged again. "It healed. Nothing to worry about." "That surely was a terrible experience." Michiru spoke thoughtfully, more to herself than to Haruka. Finally, she returned to the world of the living and looked at the tall blonde, smiling. "Haruka…I wanted to apologize for sending you away so rudely yesterday night. In fact, I would be pleasured if we could spend the night together." Harukas mouth fell open, her eyes widened, and she blushed. Michiru realized what the blonde thought she had meant with her words and blushed, too. "Not like that! I meant…hang out together during the night. You know?" Harukas face slowly returned to it's normal color while she nodded. "Sure. Hang out together. Sure thing." __"Haruka, you perv! She didn't mean it like that, so stop thinking in such a sexual way!" the blonde scolded herself. She was torn out of her thoughts when she heard Michirus soft giggling. "What's so funny?" Haruka asked, eyeing the smaller woman suspiciously. "Oh, nothing. It was just…so cute when you blushed." Harukas eyebrow twitched. "Cute? I'm not cute." She protested while she slowly started to walk. Michiru strolled along next to her, smiling up. "Okay, so you are not cute. Let's say…" Before the aqua haired girl could finish her sentence, a male voice interrupted her. "Oh look, the freak has herself made a friend!" Both Haruka and Michiru looked up, only to find themselves staring at a group of three young men, all being around twenty. Michiru sighed and just wanted to turn around to leave when Haruka suddenly took her arm. "Stay." She whispered. "I'll get rid of them." Straightening up, the blonde took a step forward. "And? Isn't she allowed to have any friends? Besides, I would appreciate it if you could refer to her as 'Kaioh-San', and not as freak." She spoke, trying to keep her voice as calm and cool as possible – which was hard, since she was practically fuming with anger. "And who do you think you are, telling us what to do?" the leader of the trio asked, smiling. "Haruka, stop. I don't want you to get into a fight." Michiru whispered, but Haruka didn't react to her words. "I'm just the new night watchman. Got any problem with that?" she replied to the young man, who hollered with laughter. "The new night watchman! Man, our town must need one really urgent, since they hired a woman!" Haruka growled, forcing herself to stay where she was and not simply lunge forward and beat the crap out of the group. "Anyway", their leader now talked on, "you better not stick your nose in things that are none of your business. That's between the freak and us." Not bothering to waste another look at Haruka, he slowly started to make his way towards Michiru, who was obviously frightened. "We didn't finish last time, but this time, we'll get what we want." The man mumbled, already reaching out to grab the aqua haired girls arm. His hand froze in mid-air when he felt the barrel of a gun pressing against his temple. "Better think over your next move." Haruka spoke, grinning in triumph. "If you do something stupid, I might accidentally pull the trigger." "You wouldn't!" the man spat, rolling his eyes in a vain attempt to look at Haruka. "You sure about that?" Haruka asked while she slacked the gun, a loud "Click" echoing through the night. Slowly, the man's hand sank down again. "Good boy." Haruka spoke, pulling the gun away. "And now get moving. Before I change my mind and shoot." The trio ran away, and Haruka turned to look at Michiru again, who was shaking. "Hey." The blonde softly spoke, putting a gentle hand on Michirus shoulder. "Don't worry. You are safe tonight." Michiru nodded, but couldn't keep herself from shuddering. Haruka put one arm around her shoulders and led her over to the next bench, where both sat down. Michiru leaned against the taller woman, wanting nothing more than someone who held her right now. And Haruka gratefully satisfied that need. _


	5. One Night Stand

Chapter 4: One Night Stand

„You feeling better now?" Haruka asked after almost thirty minutes of sitting on the bench and holding Michiru. "Yes." Michiru replied, smiling weakly. "Thanks, Haruka." "For what?" Haruka asked, surprised. "For holding you?" "No. For protecting me from those blockheads back there." Michiru replied, blushing. "It wasn't the first time they attacked you, right?" Haruka gently asked. Michiru looked down on the ground and shook her head. "No. They tried once to…to rape me…but luckily Satoshi from the shop saved me. And tonight they tried again…and you saved me. Thanks, Haruka." "Hey, that's my job." Haruka replied, smirking. Michiru smiled back before she asked: "Would you like to come over to my house and have coffee with me?" "I'd love to." Haruka replied, smiling. 

Michiru opened the door of her house and waited until Haruka had walked in, then closed it again. The next second, the blonde found herself with her back against the wall, kissing the aqua haired girl. Harukas hands found their way underneath Michirus clothes (A/N: *sings* Underneath your clothes…*ducks as tomatoes fly by* I know that I can't sing!), and she broke the kiss only to ask: "Are you sure?" and when Michiru nodded, the two of them vanished into the bedroom.

Haruka smiled down at Michiru, who smiled back at her from her resting position on the taller woman's shoulder. "That was wonderful, Haruka." She whispered while Haruka gently ran one hand down her back. "Same here." She replied. Michiru snuggled up to her and closed her eyes. "Haruka…that was just sex, right?" she asked, already halfway in dreamland. Haruka felt a pang of heartache and closed her eyes. "If you want it to be just sex…" she replied, hoping that Michiru wouldn't hear the sadness in her voice. "Yes." Michiru mumbled before she finally fell asleep. _"Just sex." Haruka thought to herself, the sadness overwhelming her. __"Just sex…no feelings for me. Just sex." Sighing, the blonde laid awake next to Michiru for a few hours, then fell asleep, too. _

When Michiru awoke the next evening, Haruka was gone. After a short period of rubbing her eyes and yawning, Michirus eyes fell on a piece of paper that laid on her night stand. The aqua haired girl leaned over and picked it up, reading what Haruka had written. "Good morning (or evening?) Michiru, I hope you slept well. Just wanted to tell you that last night was wonderful,  maybe we can repeat it some day? Oh, and don't be mad because I left, I have some matters to attend in town, like the beat nicks who attacked you. Oh well. See you tonight! Hugs and kisses, Haruka." Michiru sighed and let herself fall back on the bed, holding the note in her hands. "Haruka." Michiru spoke, sighing again. "Could it be that she wants more than just sex? I surely do." She spoke to herself before almost smacking herself. "Then why didn't I tell her yesterday?" she asked herself. The aqua haired girl sighed once more and closed her eyes. "Maybe she doesn't want a relationship." Michiru talked on, not caring about the fact that she was alone. "Maybe _she wants just sex…I have to find out." Smiling to herself, Michiru read over the note once more before she finally climbed out of bed and got ready to take her morning shower._

Haruka slammed her fist down on the desk of the town's police chief, angered. "What do you mean, you can't do anything about them?" the blonde shouted, causing the man to flinch. "There's no prove that the young men tried to rape Kaioh-San." He replied, sweat appearing on his brow when he saw the fire in Harukas eyes. "She says that they tried, but all four of them say that they didn't. That's her word against theirs." "Oh, so they need to do it first for you to do something?" Haruka yelled, angered. "Do you need their sperm inside her? Or do you need her to come walking here, her inner thighs bloody? Or what?" The chief didn't know what to say, and Haruka sighed. "Good. If you don't want to help her, I will. But don't come and arrest me when I beat the shit out of the four thugs who attacked her." With that, Haruka turned around and stormed out of the office, angered. As soon as she was gone, the police chief grabbed his phone and quickly died a number. "Hello?" he finally spoke. "Hello, Mayor. Your son is causing us trouble again, Tenoh is out to get them. Make sure that they stay away from the Kaioh girl for a while, okay? Good. See ya." He hung up, grinning. "No matter what you try, Tenoh…you won't catch the Mayor's son." 


	6. All That She Wants

Chapter 5: All That She Wants

As usual, Michiru awoke when twilight came over the city. She stretched, climbed out of bed and walked over into the kitchen to get herself a cup of coffee. Still being a little groggy, she flinched when her doorbell rang. The aqua haired girl walked over to the door and looked through the peephole. A well-known face looked back at her, and Michiru broke into a wide grin. She opened the door and called out: "Haruka! Good to see you." Since their one night stand, which had happened one week ago, the two women hadn't seen each other anymore, much to Michirus dismay. She already had been worrying that Haruka maybe had changed her mind about their friendship, and seeing her now brought relief to her heart. "Hey Michiru." The blonde replied, flashing one of her famous, all-too-sexy smiles at her. "May I come in?" she then asked, and Michiru nodded, stepping aside. Haruka entered her house, and Michiru closed the door behind her. Haruka looked at her, smiling. "Sorry that I didn't visit you for a whole week, but I was pretty busy. There's this weird street party tomorrow, and I had to make sure that all things in town are safe." She explained. "It's okay." Michiru replied, smiling warmly. Haruka smiled back at her, and Michiru made a vague gesture towards the living room. "Come, let's sit down." She suggested. Haruka nodded, and the two of them walked into the living room where they sat down. "Did those beat nicks bother you again?" Haruka asked while Michiru poured her a glass of red wine. The aqua haired girl shook her head no. "No, they left me alone. Surprisingly enough." Haruka smiled to herself. "Seems like my talk with the police chief did have a use after all." She then grinned. Michiru grinned back and handed the filled wine glass to her friend. "Cheers, Haruka." "Cheers." The blonde replied. Both took a sip from their wine, and Haruka casually leaned back in the couch, placing her right ankle on her left knee. "How have you been doing last week?" the blonde asked. Michiru shrugged. "As always...well, almost. Slept all day long, but stayed in the house at night. I didn't want to go outside..." she trailed off. "You feared the four men, right?" Haruka gently asked. Michiru nodded, looking down at her feet. "And...I was a little worried." She then admitted. "Worried? Why?" Haruka asked, honest concern in her voice. "Because of you." Michiru softly spoke. She looked up and met Harukas gaze. "I thought that maybe...you changed your mind and didn't want my friendship anymore after we..." she blushed and stopped talking. Haruka smiled and patted the free seat next to her. "Come and sit here with me, Michiru." Slowly, the aqua haired girl got up and sat down next to Haruka. Her eyes widened in surprise when Haruka gently put an arm around her. "What made you think that, darling?" she spoke, her voice dripping with affection, passion and...love? No, Michiru decided. It couldn't be that Haruka loved her...after all, it had been just sex... "I know that it was rude from me to not contact you for a whole week long." Haruka now continued. "But, you see, the Mayor asked me if I could help checking the town security, and we did that over the day. I was simply to tired to visit you. Forgive me?" The last two words were accompanied by a pair of teal, cute puppy dog eyes. Michiru couldn't help it but had to giggle at the expression Haruka made. "Of course I forgive you, Haruka." She let out a sigh and leaned against the taller woman, who rubbed her shoulder. "You know, Haruka..." Michiru spoke on, causing Haruka to look down at her. "That's all I ever wanted." Haruka raised one eyebrow, and Michiru smiled at her. "All I ever wanted...was a friend. And maybe...a lover." The last two words were almost inaudible, but Haruka heard them anyway. Slowly, the taller woman leaned down until her lips captured Michirus in a soft kiss. Michiru immediately responded to it, wrapping her arms around the blondes neck. Haruka pulled her closer, but then Michiru let herself fall backward, causing herself to lie on her back on the couch, with Haruka on top of her. All that without breaking the kiss. Finally, after a seemingly endless time, the two women broke apart. "I want you." Michiru whispered, a little out of breath. Haruka just nodded, and they sank into another, more passionate kiss. Michirus hand searched for the switch of the small lamp that stood next to the couch on a little desk, found it, and then darkness overwhelmed the couple. Neither Haruka nor Michiru realised that they were watched from a cold pair of eyes that soon vanished after the lights had went out. 


	7. Mayor Troublemaker

Chapter 6: Mayor Troublemaker

Slowly, Michiru opened her eyes, yawning in the process. After a few times of blinking her sleepiness away, the aqua haired girl found herself face to face with a mass of blonde hair. For one second, Michiru was scared…until she remembered what had happened last night. "Hey, Haruka." She whispered, earning an unhappy groan in response. Michiru couldn't help but giggled. "Not a morning person?" she then asked. Haruka finally opened her eyes and looked out of the window. "What do you mean, it's getting dark already." The blonde then mumbled, closing her eyes again. Michiru giggled once more and poked Harukas side, causing her to flinch. "Aww Ruka, come on. Let's get up." Haruka grumbled a little, but then opened her eyes again. "Oh, I'm not sure if I want to get up already…" She trailed off, a mischief glint in her eyes. Michiru looked at her, raising one eyebrow. "Well…is there any way I can persuade you to get up?" she then asked, smiling. Haruka smiled back. "You could kiss me, for example." She then suggested. Michirus smile grew wider, and one second later, the two women were kissing passionately. A sudden furious banging at the front door caused them to jerk apart. "What…" Michiru mumbled, her eyes wide. "Stay here." Haruka advised her, a sudden uneasy feeling rising inside her. The blonde quickly put her clothes on, also adjusting the shoulder halter with her gun, and walked over to the door. She looked through the peephole, but couldn't see anyone, much to her surprise. Now really worried, Haruka put her left hand on the small can of pepper spray she owned while she used her left one to open the door. "Who's there?" the blonde called out. "It's me." A man replied, stepping out of his hiding place next to the door. "Mayor." Haruka spoke, surprise in her voice. The mayor nodded, leaning against the doorframe. "I'm afraid that I have bad news for you, Tenoh." He then said. Haruka raised her eyebrows and waited for him to talk on. "You're fired." The man spoke, as calm as if he would tell Haruka about the weather. Harukas eyes widened. "What do you mean, I'm fired?" she asked, shocked. "Which part didn't you understand?" the mayor asked sweetly. Harukas shock turned into anger. "You can't just fire me without a reason." She pointed out, determined to keep her job. "Well, I have a reason. The official reason is that you didn't check out the town at night, like you're supposed to, but spent the time at Kaioh-Sans house instead. And the unofficial reason is…that you're a dyke, and that you're screwing the freak." The last few words were spoken with a voice as cold as ice, causing Haruka nearly to shiver. The blonde gritted her teeth, and when she spoke, her voice was full of held back anger. "Fine then. But don't expect me to leave your shitty town now just because you fired me. I won't leave Michiru alone here, and if she doesn't want to go away from here, I'll stay, too." The mayor glared at her. "The two of you are not welcome  here." He snarled. "So I suggest that you leave before you maybe…have some kind of accident." "Are you threatening me?" Haruka shot back, her anger now turning into something that she had never felt before. "No, just warning you." The mayor replied, an awful grin on his face. "See you." Were his last words before he turned around and walked away. 

"Haruka?" Michiru asked, her voice full of concern. The tall blonde woman stood facing the now closed door, her fists clenched, her whole body shaking. "Haruka, are you alright?" Slowly, Michiru stepped closer, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder. Finally, Haruka turned around to look at her. "I lost my job." She said flatly. Michirus eyes widened. "What? Why…why did you loose your job?" When Haruka didn't reply anything, realization dawned in Michirus eyes. "Because of me, right?" she asked softly, a hint of sadness in her voice. Haruka stayed silent, and that was answer enough for the aqua haired girl. Michiru turned around, walked over to the couch and sat down, staring down on the floor. "I should've known it." She finally spoke, her voice showing that she was on the verge of tears. "I should've known that they would do anything to keep me lonely…" Michirus voice cracked at the last word, and she broke down crying. Haruka sat next to her one moment later, gently pulling her into a hug. "Why are they doing that?" Michiru sobbed, her whole body shaking. "Why, Haruka?" "Because they don't like people who are different." Haruka replied, her eyes filling with tears, too. "Because they all are some close-minded bastards who have no life and only feel good when they reduce others." Michiru leaned against her, burying her face in the taller woman's shoulder. "Please don't leave me now, Haruka." She whispered. Haruka gently stroke her back. "I would never leave you, Michiru." She replied before tilting Michirus head up so she could look at her. "I would never leave you…because I love you."


	8. Wonderful Night

Chapter 7: Wonderful Night

„You...you love me?" Michiru asked, surprise in her eyes. Haruka nodded, unable to say anything. Right now, the blonde feared that she had gone too far with her confession, and that Michiru didn't want a lover at all, but her fears vanished when Michiru started to smile and dried her tears. "How I wished to hear you say that." The aqua haired girl whispered. Haruka smiled back at her, then leaned down until her lips met those of her lover in a soft, loving kiss. Michiru put her arms around Harukas neck, and her heart sang with joy when she felt Harukas strong arms wrap around her waist, pulling her close. The two women were so absorbed in their kiss that they didn't hear the front door opening. It was the male voice that made them jump apart: "Umm…sorry?" Both Haruka and Michiru whirled around, only to find themselves looking at Satoshi, the owner of the local shop. Haruka let out the breath she had held – without even noticing it – and spoke: "Hey Satoshi." "Sorry for walking in on you without knocking." Satoshi apologized, blushing heavily. "I hope I didn't interrupt your tender moment too rudely." Michiru smiled at the man and shook her head. "No, don't worry. Can we help you somehow, Satoshi-San?" Satoshi smiled back at her and nodded. "Well, yes. Haruka-San, I just heard that you lost your job." Haruka sighed and nodded. "Unfortunately, yes." She replied. Satoshi suddenly reached out and gave Harukas upper arm a squeeze. "Hey!" Haruka protested, causing Satoshi to chuckle. "Just wanted to see if you have muscles, Haruka-San. You see, I'm getting old. And there are a lot of heavy things in the shop to lift…but I'm getting too weak. So…" "You want me to work for you?" Haruka interrupted him, surprised. Satoshi grinned and nodded. Haruka smiled at him, but then, she frowned. "I don't think that this is a good idea." She finally said. "Why?" Both Satoshi and Michiru asked, curious expressions on their face. "Well…" Haruka sighed, "the whole village knows that Michiru and I are a couple. The inhabitants could stop buying at your shop, Satoshi." Satoshi shook his head. "I don't think so. I'm the owner of the only shop here in town, and the next one is faaaaaaaaaaaaar away." He grinned. Haruka chuckled before smiling at him. "Okay then. If you really want me to work at your shop, I'd love to. When shall I start?" "Today's Thursday…let's say next week on Monday, okay? Can you be there at eight?" Haruka just nodded, and Satoshi smiled. "Fine. See you on Monday, then. And now, I'll leave you two lovebirds alone." He winked at the two blushing women and left. Both Haruka and Michiru took a seat on the couch, Michiru leaning against Haruka. "That's nice from Satoshi, to give you a new job." The aqua haired girl spoke while Haruka absent-mindedly ran one hand through her long hair. "Yes, it is. I'm glad that he offered me this…otherwise I wouldn't have known what to do." Michiru smiled up at her lover before she snuggled closer to the tall blonde, who smiled back. "I'm so glad that you came here, Haruka." Michiru whispered, leaning her head against the blondes shoulder. "Me too." Haruka whispered back, craning her neck in an odd way so she could kiss Michirus lips. "Watch it, don't hurt your neck." Michiru giggled as soon as their kiss had ended. Haruka rolled her eyes and replied in mocked anger: "How very romantic, darling." Michiru giggled and ran one hand through Harukas hair, totally messing it up. "Hey." Haruka chuckled, shaking her head to make her hair fall back into it's natural position. "Sorry. But I couldn't resist." Michiru giggled. Haruka gave her a faked glare, and Michiru let out a sigh while she leaned against her lover again. "You know, Haruka…this is the most wonderful night in my entire life." Haruka cuddled her, smiling. "From now on, every night will be like this." She whispered into her ear. "I promise, Michiru." All of a sudden, Michiru could feel hot tears stinging in her eyes. "Thanks, Haruka." She spoke, her voice hoarse with emotion. "I don't know what to say…" "Don't say anything, Love." Haruka spoke, her voice a low, somehow sexy growl. "Just…turn off the lights and kiss me." Michiru gratefully fulfilled her wish. 

"She accepted the job I offered her." Satoshi spoke into his cell phone, before listening to the person on the other end of the line. "Yes. Yes, I know. Of course it will! Okay then. See you later." With that, he hung up and tucked the phone into his pocket. The smile that appeared on his face was everything but friendly. 


	9. Accidents Happen

Chapter 8: Accidents Happen

„Love...Love, wake up." Haruka whispered into Michirus ear, earning a small groan in response. Finally, Michiru opened her eyes, looking at her lover with a tired expression. "Haruka, it's half past seven in the *morning*. What is it?" "It's Monday, and I have to go to work." Haruka replied, gently running one hand down Michirus face and over her body. Michiru finally turned around to face her lover, smiling. "What a pity, darling. Will you come over tonight?" "Yes." Haruka replied before gently kissing her girlfriend. "Now go back to sleep, sweetie. I'll be here at eight." Michiru nodded, received another kiss and went back to sleep while Haruka got ready for work and left her house.

"Satoshi?" Haruka called out while she entered the shop. "Satoshi! I'm here!" When there was no response, the blonde frowned and wandered through the shop, looking around. "Maybe he's in the stock." The idea flashed up like a light bulb in her head, and slowly Haruka made her way over to the door that led to the stocking room. The blonde pushed the door open and yelled: "Satoshi!" No reply. Sighing, Haruka walked deeper into the storage room, past all the shelves that stood lined up. When she reached the last row, the blonde decided go back into the shop room again to wait there for her new boss. She turned around just in time to see the shelf that contained various canned food crashing down on her.

Michiru was awoken the second time that day, much to her dismay. Groaning, the aqua haired girl climbed out of bed, put on her bathrobe and made her way over to the door. Before opening it, she put on a pair of sunglasses, knowing that her eyes would hurt if she didn't. Upon opening the door, the aqua haired woman found herself face to face with two cops, both looking at her. "Kaioh-San…" one of them started, and Michiru gulped. If anyone in this town called her Kaioh-San, it never meant a good thing. "Yes?" she finally managed to ask, talking around a huge lump that suddenly was in her throat. "You are the girlfriend of Haruka Tenoh, right?" the female cop of the two of them asked, her voice surprisingly gentle. Michiru nodded, finding herself unable to talk. Something had happened to Haruka. "Something…did something happen to her?" she finally pressed out, the sudden urge to cry overcoming her. The male cop put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "We are sorry to tell you, Kaioh-San, but Tenoh-San…she had an accident at work." "No." Michiru whispered, remembering the mayor's words. _"So I suggest that you leave before you maybe…have some kind of accident." "She's not dead, right?" The question she hadn't wanted to ask…but the question that needed to be answered. Michiru felt relief creeping up inside her when the female officer shook her head. "No, she's alive. She's not all well, but alive. In the hospital, to be exact. Tenoh-San asked for you, and so my partner and I drove here to inform you about what happened." "Thanks." Michiru spoke, glad that the lump in her throat was gone. "We can take you to the hospital if you want." The male cop now offered. Much to his surprise, Michiru shook her head. "Thanks for your offer, but I have to decline it. You see, I'm suffering from a rare disease, and I can't leave the house during the day." "What are you, a vampire?" the male cop asked, receiving a poke in rib area from his partner. "Kenshi! Don't be so rude." The woman hissed, causing her partner to blush. "I'm sorry." Kenshi quickly stammered out. Michiru gave him a smile. "It's okay, don't worry. I'm used to that anyway…" she trailed off when she saw the Mayor walking down the street that led to her house. The two cops saw him, too, and quickly said their goodbyes. "Mayor." Michiru greeted him, her voice cold. "Freak." The mayor responded, a cruel glint in his eyes. "What can I do for you?" Michiru asked, leaning against the doorframe. "Oh, I just came by to warn you." The mayor replied, and Michirus eyebrows went up. "Warn me?" she repeated, frowning. "Warning me about what?" "About various…accidents that could happen. Like the accident that happened to your dykish friend today." "The word dykish doesn't exist." Michiru informed the mayor, grinning to herself. (A/N: According to my Online Dictionary, the word Dykish really doesn't exist ^_^) The man grumbled at her. "Don't you get smart with me, bitch!" he hissed, finally showing his true self. Michiru just looked at him coldly. "Accidents happen, you know." The mayor now spoke, clenching his fists. "And I suggest that the two of you leave this town before something worse than a falling shelf occurs. The next time, someone could get killed." "I'm getting tired of you threatening my lover and me." Michiru shot back. "Now would you leave my property, I can't recall the fact that I invited you here." The mayor growled at her like some kind of dog and finally left. Michiru closed the door and leaned against it, her heart hammering in her chest. She had refused to show it to the mayor, but deep inside, she was scared. Very scared. _


	10. Haruka To The Rescue

Chapter 9: Haruka To The Rescue

As soon as the twilight came, Michiru left her house, ready to drive into the hospital and visit her lover. She patiently waited at the bus stop until the bus arrived, climbed in, paid and made her way to one of the free seats. As always, the people on the bus stared at her and soon started whispering to each other. Michiru heard the words "Freak", "Vampire" and – that was new – "Dyke", but she pretended that she didn't notice. It worked pretty well – until she saw one of the four beat nicks who had once tried to rape her sitting in the last row. And he saw her. "Hey, you!" he suddenly yelled, jumping up. Michirus eyes widened, and she stopped dead in her tracks. The boy grinned at her, but his grin was cruel, dangerous. "Where are you going? You wanna see your dykish friend?" Michiru assumed that "dykish" was a new word, since everyone seemed to use it all of a sudden. "I assume that you are talking about Haruka." She now spoke, trying to keep her voice calm. To her own surprise, she managed to do so pretty good. "And yes, I do want to see her." "Awww, two lovebirds! Too bad that they are both female and thus two sickos!" the boy jeered. Michiru decided that it would be the best thing to ignore him and finally found an empty seat, with her back to the beat nick. "I'm talking to you, _dyke." The boy suddenly spoke into her ear, causing her to flinch. His right hand came out of nowhere and landed on Michirus breast. "Take your filthy fingers from me!" the aqua haired girl yelled out, fear in her voice. "Make me." The beat nick replied, his fingers giving a rough squeeze. Michiru looked at the other people in the bus, searching for help, but no one reacted. The bus came to a stop, and everyone got out – except for Michiru and the young man. "Seems like we are alone." The boy grinned, moving around until he faced his victim. Michiru tried to hit her tormentor, but he easily caught her fist. Holding her wrists with one hand, he dragged her off her seat and forced her own her back, grinning down at her. "Now, the fun begins." He whispered before he rammed his tongue into Michirus mouth, forcing a wet kiss from her. _

"You like that?" the beat nick asked, looking down at the crying Michiru with a cruel smile on his face. By now, he had managed to tear her blouse and her bra off, leaving her topless. Michiru knew that she was in deep trouble; he was too strong to fight him, and no one was around – except for the bus driver, who simply drove on and pretended not to notice what was going on behind his back. The bus came to a halt at the next stop, and Michiru heard the doors open. "Help!" she screamed, "please, someone…" her cries were muffled when the mayor's son pressed his hand on her mouth. "Shut up, no one will help you anyway." He growled. "Don't be too sure about that." A low, husky voice suddenly came from behind. Michirus eyes lit up when her tormentor suddenly got grabbed from behind and was pulled off her. Haruka slammed the beat nick against the next window, holding him there. "You god damn bastard." The blonde pressed out between gritted teeth. "I'll teach you to try and rape my girl!" Michiru managed to sit up in the meantime and grabbed her torn blouse to cover herself. Haruka now landed a hard punch in the boys gut, causing him to gasp. He would've doubled over, but Harukas other hand that had closed around his throat didn't allow that. "Your ass is grass." Haruka spoke, her voice a dangerous, low growl – though it sounded sexy to Michiru, it scared the shit out of the wannabe rapist. "Please don't hurt me." The boy whimpered, shivering with fear. Haruka glared at him and replied: "Not hurt you? You were about to rape the woman I love, and now you _dare to beg me __not to hurt you?" The last words were shouted loud enough to wake the dead, and the boy started to tremble even more. "Haruka." Michiru now gently spoke, standing up. "Leave him alone." The aqua haired woman now begged, earning a surprised look from Haruka. Michiru put one hand on her lover's arm, feeling the bandage underneath her clothing, and repeated: "Leave him alone. I think he's learned his lesson…and if you keep threatening him, he'll wet his pants." Haruka couldn't help but smile at that let go of the boys throat. "Get. Out. Now." She commanded. The beat nick quickly hurried away and jumped off the bus as soon as it stopped again. As soon as he was gone, Michiru allowed herself to break down. She fell into Harukas arms, crying heavily. The blonde grimaced for a second when Michirus weight crashed against her also bandaged rip area, but she quickly pulled her lover into a reassuring hug. "Shht. It's over." "Oh God…if you wouldn't have come…" Michiru whimpered, hiding her face in Harukas chest. Haruka stroke her back, whispering into her ear. "But I did come. And you are save now, don't worry anymore." Michiru nodded before looking up at her lover. "But…what are you doing on that bus anyway?" Haruka smiled sheepishly. "I was leaving the hospital and already on the bus back into town when I realized that I left my cell phone in the nurse room." She explained. "So I got on the next bus back to the hospital…and found that dork on top of you." Michiru let out a happy sigh and leaned against her lover again. "Good thing you forgot your cell phone." She stated. "Now, let's get out and catch the next bus home." Haruka nodded, and soon, the two women left the bus. _


	11. Leaving It All Behind

Chapter 10: Leaving It All Behind

"Here, I made you some tea." Haruka spoke while she put the tray down, careful, since she didn't want the hot liquid to spill out of the cup. "Thanks." Michiru whispered, taking the cup into her shaking hands. "Hey." Haruka spoke, sitting down next to her. The blonde put one arm around her lover, pulling her close. Michiru snuggled up to her, letting out a shaky sigh. "Stop worrying." Haruka spoke into her ear, gently stroking the long aqua colored locks of her lover. "It's over, honey." "Yeah…at least for tonight." Michiru replied. When she looked up at the taller blonde, tears were shimmering in her eyes. "Michiru!" Haruka called out, obviously shocked. "They'll continue attacking us." Michiru whispered, the tears finally running down her cheeks. "They already hurt you…" her fingers traveled over the white bandage that covered Harukas rib cage, then wandered on to her right lower arm, where another bandage was wrapped around. "…and one of them tried to rape me. And they won't stop doing that to us until they had what they want." She finished her sentence, her voice almost inaudible now. "And what do you think they want?" Haruka asked, her voice shaking a little. Michiru shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe they want us to break up…or to move away…" "Then we will." Haruka suddenly spoke. Michiru looked at her shocked. "Will what? Break up?" she asked, her eyes showing such a deep fear and hurt that Harukas heart nearly broke in two. "Of course not break up." She replied. "But move away. Leave this awful place…and move to a town where we both are accepted for what we are." "But how are we supposed to do this?" Michiru replied, near tears once more. "Haruka, I can only travel at night…" "I know. And I'll find a way." The blonde promised, gently rubbing Michirus shoulder. "I have a driving license, so we can drive a car at night and sleep in motels during the day. Until we reach the town we are heading for." Michiru closed her eyes, leaning against Harukas shoulder. "I've lived here for all my life." She finally started to speak after a long silence. "And it was fine for years…until Mayor Taroshi came." Haruka just held her close and waited for her to talk on. "It was him who made my life here so lonely." Michiru spoke on, her eyes focused on the wall. "He started to spread rumors…he started to call me freak and vampire and such. And soon, the other people started it too. Mostly because they were friends of they mayor…and those who weren't started because they were scared of him." Finally, Michiru looked up at Haruka again. "You are right. We should leave this place." Haruka nodded, placing a gentle kiss on Michirus forehead. "I know where we can go." She then whispered. "To the town where I was born. My parents surely will let us stay with them until we found some place to stay." "And you're sure that your parents won't mind…us?" Michiru asked, her voice fearful all of sudden again. Haruka smiled at her and shook her head. "Nope. They know that I'm gay…and my mom has been trying to set me up for months until I told her to stop." Michiru chuckled at the thought of Haruka and her mother visiting a lesbian bar. "You're not serious now, are you?" the aqua haired girl then asked, still giggling. "Yes I am!" Haruka replied. "My mom dragged me to every gay bar in town." Michiru couldn't help herself anymore and broke into a laughter fit. Haruka watched her for a few moments, frowning, then the corners of her mouth started to twitch. And finally, the blonde laughed, too, laughed until tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Oh, come _on!" Michiru cried out, frustrated, while staring down at the object that caused her frustration. Haruka came walking into the room, carrying two suitcases. "Love, what's with the ruckus?" the blonde asked, leaning against the doorframe. "The evil suitcase won't close!" Michiru complained, pointing at the said piece of luggage. Haruka just smiled, walked over to where her lover sat on the floor and knelt down on the suitcase. "Now you can close it." She then spoke. Michiru grinned at her and pulled the zipper close, before she pulled Haruka off the suitcase and kissed her long and lovingly. "Thanks, Love." She whispered after the kiss. "You're welcome." Haruka replied, not much louder. "I love you." The blonde then added while pulling her girlfriend into a hug. "More than anything." "I love you too." Michiru replied, leaning against her. Finally, after a long time of holding each other, Haruka let go of Michiru and came to her feet. "Let's bring the luggage out to the car and leave this shitty place." She suggested. Michiru nodded, and Haruka picked up the suitcases. The blonde walked out, followed by Michiru. Both women were ready to leave it all behind. _


	12. A New Home

A/N: Everyone always portrays Harukas parents as either mean or evil or sometimes both ^_^ I decided to make them – for once – nice people, who love their daughter for whom she is :-D

Epilogue: A New Home

"We'll be there soon." Haruka spoke when her eyes fell on the sign that pointed the way into the town where her parents lived. Next to her, Michiru nodded, her nervousness showing through her voice. "Hey, calm down." Haruka gently spoke, patting her lover's leg. "My parents will love you." Michiru smiled at her, though still a little nervous, and nodded. "We'll see, love." She then replied, looking back on the road. Haruka drove on until she reached the village, and after five minutes of driving through various streets and side-alleys (once against an one-way-street, luckily no policeman was around), the blonde stopped her car in front of a big, nice looking house. The two of them got out of the car and walked over to the front door. "Haruka, it's four in the morning. Maybe we should…" Michiru wanted to end the sentence with the word "wait", but before she could, Haruka had already rang the doorbell. After a few moments of silence, a female voice could be heard: "Who's coming at such an ungodly time?", then the door opened. The woman who had opened it was obviously Harukas mother; she was nearly as tall as her daughter, and her face was a spitting image of Harukas, only that her hair was gray and not blonde. But Michiru was sure that it had been blonde some time ago. "Haruka!" the woman now called out, a wide smile appearing on her face. Her eyes fell on Michiru, and her smile grew, although this hardly seemed possible. "And who are you?" she then asked. "Michiru Kaioh." Michiru replied politely, bowing to the mother of her girlfriend. „Mom, Michiru and I need a place to stay for a while." Haruka now spoke. Her mom simply nodded and stepped to the side. "Please, enter and make yourself a home." She spoke, smiling. 

~*~ Two weeks later ~*~

"Honey! I'm home!" Haruka called out while she walked in through the front door. Michiru already waited for her in the kitchen, wearing an apron and preparing dinner – which was somehow odd to people who didn't know about the two of them, since Haruka always come home in the early morning hours. "I'm here!" Michiru now called out. One second later, two strong arms wrapped around her waist, and a gentle kiss was placed on her neck. "How was your shift?" the aqua haired girl now asked, turning around in Harukas embrace to face her. "Calm as always." Haruka replied. "Being the night watchman in such a small, calm town is fun." Michiru chuckled, and the couple kissed briefly. "I love you." Haruka then whispered. Michiru closed her eyes and leaned her head against Harukas chest. "I love you, too." She whispered, her heart filling with happiness. Her lover and she had found a new home – and they had found each other. 

THE END!!!


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